HUD
The elements of the Heads-Up Display (HUD) explained from the screenshot above:
- Life Meter: The character's health bar--when a character loses all of their health bar, they lose the round. When the final round experiences a draw, both players will have some health restored.
- Timer: The timer that dictates when a match ends. This timer is reset to its initial state at the beginning of each round. When the final round experiences a draw, the timer will be extended by a smaller amount.
- Life Meter Marker: Each mark indicates 100 health points, with smaller markers indicating 20 health points past 300 health points. The number of health can be turned on via the options menu.
- Round Counter: On tournament/ranked setting, every battle is a best of 2 out of 3 rounds. Each win changes the color of the grey diamond into a yellow one. If a draw occurs before final round, both players will win that round. If a draw occurs during the final round, it will be extended until a single winner is decided.
- Variation and Character Name: A character's variation and name are displayed. If a custom variation is created in Tournament Mode, the name will be "Kustom Variation". In Online mode, the custom name chosen for the player-made variation will displayed instead.
- Defensive Meter: A resource meter that is split into 2 stocks. Defensive meter will regenerate passively from being spent after a short pause. Last Breath occurs when the player prevents chip kill by spending Defensive Meter, with the spent meter being unavailable until the next round. Death by chip kill from Last Breath will award the player full defensive meter into the next round. Different actions will have different meter gain rate and the meter gain rate is affected by previous actions that have a different meter gain rate. (Kung Lao's Orbiting Hat will speed up Environmental Interaction's defensive meter gain rate).
- Offensive Meter: A resource meter that is split into 2 stocks. Offensive meter will regenerate passively from being spent after a short pause. Different actions will have different meter gain rate and the meter gain rate is affected by previous actions that have a different meter gain rate (Kung Lao's Orbiting Hat will speed up amplified Spin's offensive meter gain rate).
Notation
For the sake of consistency, the notation used here is based upon what is used by the community.
| Kommand | |
|---|---|
| F | Forward |
| B | Backward |
| U | Up |
| D | Down |
| 1 | Front Punch |
| 2 | Back Punch |
| 3 | Front Kick |
| 4 | Back Kick |
| BL | Block |
| 1+3 | Throw |
| SS | Flip Stance |
| TG | Interact |
| Spatial |
|---|
| (air) |
| (close) |
| (mid) |
| (far) |
| Other |
|---|
| Hold |
| Press |
| Amplify |
| Delay |
| Cancel |
| + |
| or |
| , |
Variations
Every character in the game has a base moveset, a list of abilities which add new moves or modify parts of the base moveset, and three Kompetitive Variations consisting of preset combinations of abilities approved for competitive play. From Ultimate onwards, Kustom Variations were permitted for online ranked play and offline pro competition.
All characters have three slots available to create a variation. Abilities can occupy one, two or even all three slots of a variation. Some abilities cannot be combined together if they share the same input while others can only be used with another ability as a prerequisite. Player's can save up to 5 Kustom Variations per character and assign a skin, three pieces of Gear with three Augments for each, and a custom name to each slot. Gear and Augments do not affect gameplay in PVP modes.
The following abilities or combinations are listed as unavailable for competitive play even if they are playable in unranked modes. (Current as of 01/26/2021)
- Any resurrection ability (Geras - Reawakened, D'Vorah - Mother Bug, Terminator - Terminate)
- Robocop - Trick Shot
- Sindel - Enhanced Flight
- Fujin - Jetstream
- Skarlet - Killer Clot
- Sub-Zero - Ground Freeze
- Geras - Lost Time & Spare Time
- Frost - Core Trap
